Vote of no confidence for South Jersey Economic Development District executive director

Staff photoFreeholder Bill Whelan, a member of the South Jersey Economic Development District's executive committee, will be part of the team tasked with officially dismissing Gordon Dahl from the executive director position within the district.

VINELAND — Members of the South Jersey Economic Development District on Monday unanimously issued a vote of no confidence in its executive director, Gordon Dahl, after serious financial concerns moved officials from Cumberland, Salem and Cape May counties to call on the district make changes.

The SJEDD board of directors later appointed former board member Stephen O’Connor, of the Sea Isle-based firm South Jersey Consultants LLC, as interim executive director.

“I believe it’s very important we move the district forward, and we need to work together for the benefit of the region,” said Cumberland County Freeholder Bill Whelan, a member of the board of directors’ executive committee.

Whelan, along with board Chairman Leonard Desiderio and executive committee member Julie Acton, a freeholder from Salem County, will now begin the process of terminating Dahl’s employment with the district.

O’Connor was a member of the SJEDD board for eight years until December 2011. He will be retiring next month as Cape May County administrator and as executive director of the Cape May County Bridge Commission.

His new contract with the district has a six month time limit, during which time he will be paid $9,500 per month, with no benefits or pension. O’Connor said he intends to being showing results within three months.

“I believe that we’ll have success in three months, where the district will be able to demonstrate that we’ll be financially viable again,” said O’Connor. “I believe Atlantic County will then jump back on board with us.”

O’Connor added, “One of the things I genuinely enjoy is troubleshooting.”

Arthur Bretnall Jr., a member of the board from Cumberland County, responded: “We’ll then you’ve come to the right place.”

According to officials, the troubles with the SJEDD began in 2005, when the SJEDD announced the NextGen Aviation Research and Technology Park in Egg Harbor Township, leasing 54 acres from the Federal Aviation Administration. The district was named the developer for the project.

Since then, vendors and contractors connected to the project, as well as officials in Egg Harbor have claimed they are owed nearly $500,000.

In addition, the SJEDD hasn’t undergone a financial audit since 2009.

Atlantic County, another founding member of the district — along with Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties back in 1979 — in January dropped out of the SJEDD, citing the district’s apparent negligence with public funds.

Last week, the Cumberland County freeholders approved a resolution calling for the SJEDD to:

• Immediately appoint a “competent” interim manager to bring the NextGen to a resolution.

• Resolve all issues relating to its finances and demonstrate an ability to sustain itself.

• However, if the member counties are no assured the district can sustain itself, the resolution calls for SJEDD to satisfy its debt as best it can, divide its assets and dissolve.

Freeholders in Salem and Cape May counties had passed similar resolutions.

The SJEDD board of directors also called on Atlantic County to rejoin the district, stating that has a whole the four counties have worked together to bring approximately $63 million in federal grants to the area over the past 10 years.

“I think they’ll come back,” said Whelan. “I think Atlantic County will return and the district will be back to four counties.”